A religious liberty group, Christian schools, and families from those schools are challenging a Minnesota law that bans certain Christian colleges and universities from participating in the state's Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. The law, passed in 2023, excludes religious institutions that require students to sign a faith statement, a ruling that Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the plaintiffs, calls "disgraceful."
On Christmas Eve, outdoorsman and TV personality Bear Grylls took to his X account to make a misleading statement about the birth of Christ, calling Mary "a Palestinian girl" and claiming that she and Joseph were “refugees” when they traveled to Bethlehem. This inaccurate portrayal, which Grylls used to advance a political narrative, quickly garnered backlash.
Priests with the Church of England have reportedly been told to change the lyrics of Christmas hymns to avoid "causing unnecessary offence," according to a report from The Telegraph.
For the first time since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime earlier this month, Syrian Christians attended Christmas Eve services in Damascus under the governance of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office is working on a new initiative designed to counteract President-elect Donald Trump’s anticipated crackdown on illegal immigration. The plan, titled “Immigrant Support Network Concept,” aims to establish a regional network to assist immigrant communities in California. According to a draft obtained by Politico, the proposal outlines the creation of an "Immigrant Support Network" composed of regional hubs that will connect at-risk individuals and their families with essential community services, such as legal aid, education, labor unions, and local government support.
In a controversial decision just before Christmas, President Joe Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 of the 40 men on federal death row, once again prioritizing convicted murderers over their victims. Among those granted mercy was Brandon Council, convicted of the brutal double murder of Donna Major and Katie Skeen during a robbery in 2017.
